Baltimore Activist Alert -- February 25 - 27, 2021

56] Virtual tour of Hebron -- Feb. 25

57] Pairing solar and farms in Maryland – Feb. 25

58] Risk Analysis for Nuclear War -- Feb. 25

59] Virtual rally to stop Line 3 and the Dakota Access Pipeline -- Feb. 25

60] Is the Great Inflation Coming? – Feb. 25

61] Save Maryland Transit -- Feb. 25

62] Hear from Rep. Jamie Raskin – Feb. 25

63] Women Surviving Apartheid's Prisons – Feb. 25

64] Day of Action on Yemen – Feb. 25

65] Short film "No Single Origin" -- Feb. 25

66] Food Rescue at the Dovecote Café – Feb. 25

67] Food Rescue Giveaway -- Feb. 25

68] Film HUNGER WARD – Feb. 25

69] Latin American Elections Repudiate Neoliberalism -- Feb. 25

70] The Peoples' Poor Public Health – Feb. 25

71] Town Hall with Bernie Sanders – Feb. 25

72] Address our country’s legacy of racism – Feb. 25

73] Where Water & Justice Meet -- Feb. 25

74] Meet Nina Turner -- Feb. 25

75] The "Ban Treaty" – Feb, 27  

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56] – Issa Amro is urging you to join the virtual tour of Hebron on Thurs., Feb. 25 from 8 to 11 AM, as it would be a great way to support Palestinian human rights and Youth Against Settlements. This tour is part of the Open Shuhada Street campaign, which highlights the effect the military occupation of Hebron has on its Palestinian residents.  Please visit the Friends of Hebron website to learn more about the Open Shuhada Street campaign and RSVP for the tour at https://www.friendsofhebron.com/openshuhadastreet?emci=6ae7df88-2475-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=249bcd41-e376-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=389907.

57] – Solar United Neighbors [mdteam@solarunitedneighbors.org] is hosting a webinar with Dr. Arjun Makhijani, who just completed a report on the benefits of pairing solar and farms in Maryland. The report looks at what steps can be taken to ensure solar is developed so that it supports agriculture while generating electricity. Dr. Makhijani will share his findings on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 11 AM. Makhijani, from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Lexie Hain of the American Solar Grazing Association will do presentations. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XQo9bzfOTsenyo4nOsKhgw.

58] – On Thurs., Feb. 25 at 11:30 AM ET, check out Risk Analysis for Nuclear War and Nuclear Terrorism Meeting #1 [Online]. Contact Marguerite Schneider at MSchneider@nas.edu. There are numerous speakers at this event hosted by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. See https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/02-25-2021/risk-analysis-for-nuclear-war-and-nuclear-terrorism-meeting-1#sectionEventMaterials.

59] – Brooke Harper - 350.org [350@350.org] invites you to a virtual rally to stop Line 3 and the Dakota Access Pipeline on Thurs., Feb. 25 at noon ET.  The petitions will be delivered ‌to the Biden Administration on Thurs., Feb.  25. The rally will include on-the-ground activists and Indigenous leaders. RSVP and you will receive the recording: https://350org.zoom.us/webinar/register/7016136043962/WN_2qvdDB0bTNmJGeQV5ofYbg%20. Thursday’s virtual rally will feature incredible speakers including Winona LaDuke, Founder of Honor the Earth and Tara Houska, founder of Giniw Collective. 

Enbridge is accelerating construction on Line 3 and telling lie after lie about this dangerous pipeline, which is why we must ramp up the pressure now. The fossil fuel industry knows that their time is up, but they’re going to fight tooth and nail, spread lies, and spend billions to hang on. If built, this pipeline would carry 760,000 barrels of tar sands oil from Canada every day through a three-foot-wide pipe, as big as Keystone XL – devastating our climate, threatening the Mississippi River, and violating Indigenous treaty rights.

60] –The Committee for the Republic is holding a Salon on Thurs., Feb. 25 at noon EST Is the Great Inflation Coming? Hear from Charles Goodhart & Manoj Pradhan by going to the Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88191777519.  For the last three decades, China’s rise and globalization have been synonymous. Her demographic sweet spot drove Chinese output up and Western inflation down. In The Great Demographic Reversal, Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan argue that these trends are reversing and China’s greatest contribution to global growth is past. China's working age population is shrinking, while the elderly expand there and worldwide. They maintain this great demographic reversal will ignite inflation and higher interest rates, lessen inequality and improve productivity, but worsen fiscal problems, as medical, care and pension expenditures escalate in our ageing societies. Accelerated by the Covid pandemic, the massive accumulation of debt will make inflation much harder to manage and, if the Goodhart-Pradhan forecast materializes, burgeoning interest payments will swamp the U.S. government budget.

61] – Join the Save Maryland Transit Coalition on Thurs., Feb. 25 from 12:30 to 1 PM for a Video Action to support the Transit Safety & Investment Act (SB 199/HB 114) sponsored by Senator Cory McCray and Delegate Brooke Lierman. Safe, reliable public transportation is essential to reduce the impact of climate change, promote equity, and bolster Maryland's economy by creating and increasing access to jobs. The Transit Safety & Investment Act will fund the Maryland Transit Administration's maintenance backlog over the next six years so that people can safely & reliably get to jobs, food, healthcare, school, and other destinations each day! Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-for-maryland-transit-video-action-tickets-142039029561?emci=cd8a6d2c-f275-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=3d8945b1-c876-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=9712492.

During this action, if you're able, bring a piece of paper and make a sign in support of the bill. You can prepare 1 or 2 sentences about why you support the Transit Safety & Investment Act so during the Zoom gathering video testimonials of Marylanders voicing their support for public transit will be shared with legislators! If you have any accessibility needs and would like to record a testimonial over the phone, reach out to Lindsey at transportation@mdsierra.org or 240-706-7901.

62] – Join People For the American Way in a conversation with Lead House Impeachment Manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 1:15 PM ET about the Senate impeachment trial and how we must take the necessary steps to strengthen our democracy. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ioz699FmS8idMF3XBgQ7bw. Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial placed in the public domain an indelible record of his betrayal of our country, thanks to the strong case argued by a House team led by Rep. Raskin. Email pfaw@pfaw.org.

63] – Just World Books is urging you to get to a book talk featuring Women Surviving Apartheid's Prisons author Shanthini Naidoo and Foreword-writer Donna Bryson on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 2 PM ET. This book talk is being co-hosted by Denver's great Tattered Cover bookstore and WorldDenver and is sure to be super-engaging. Register at https://secure.worlddenver.org/np/clients/worlddenver/event.jsp?event=95.  Ms. Bryson authored her own intriguing book about South Africa, It's a Black-White Thing that grew out of her experience as an AP correspondent there. 

64] –   Get with a Global Day of Action on Yemen [national@actioncorps.org] on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 2 PM ET.  This is a meeting of organizations that participated in the January 25 Yemen war protests and rallies. Build on our World Says NO TO WAR ON YEMEN Global Day of Action 1 month ago, and to build momentum for the end to Western support for the war on Yemen.  To keep this meeting focused, just one representative from each organization should attend. Visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcO2qpzgtHdVVnLRls4TEsxfcWVa5JV_x?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-remember-to-register-for-global-yemen-meeting&email_referrer=email_1082863&email_subject=yemen-meeting-tomorrow.

65] – See a screening of Home Storytellers' short film "No Single Origin," centered around the creation of the 1951 Coffee Company and its mission to help resettled refugees in the San Francisco Bay area. This film explores the complexity of refugee resettlement and the importance of community and human connection.  The film will be shown on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 3 PM EST. Following the film, you will get a firsthand look at 1951's innovative barista training program, including an exciting demonstration and an interactive Q&A with former refugee and 1951 Coffee Company graduate, Liebe, and CEO, Doug Hewitt. RSVP at https://give.unrefugees.org/210211core_origin_c_5400?utm_medium=email&utm_cid=0031K00002aKGG9QAO&utm_source=u4u-appeal&utm_campaign=US_PS_EN_CORE_APPEAL___210211&utm_content=fullfile&SF_onetime=7011K000001GWYMQA4&SF_monthly=7011K000001GWYRQA4.  You can RSVP with a donation of any size. Half of the proceeds from this event will go to 1951 Coffee Company and their programs to support resettled refugees with dignity and job skills training.

66] – Thursdays in Reservoir Hill at the Dovecote Café, 2501 Madison Ave., will continue through May 27 from 4 to 5 PM.  This event is supervised by Food Rescue Baltimore.  Bring a bag, bring a friend, and take delicious, nutritious, free rescued food. See https://www.facebook.com/foodrescueday/.

67] – On Thurs., Feb. 25 from 6 to 8 PM ET, check out the Food Rescue Giveaway! This is the Thursday Evenings at Old Major, 900 S. Carey St., Baltimore, which will continue through April 29. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OldMajorBaltimore/. This is a long-awaited evening Rescue, and Rescue in Southwest Baltimore, all in one! Get prepacked boxes from the carryout window on the Herkimer Street side of the building. Use the window bell or call 443-873-7363. And please, masks must be worn at the window. 

68] – Hassan El-Tayyab, FCNL [support@fcnl.org] invites you to join him for a special screening of Hunger Ward on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 6 PM EST. This powerful new documentary provides an unflinching look at the human-caused famine in Yemen and was recently short-listed for an Oscar award. Also joining in will be the film's director, Skye Fitzgerald, and Dr. Aisha Jumaan, president of the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, for a discussion immediately following the screening. Sign up at https://gathr.us/screening/reserve/31736.

69] – Get with a WEBINAR: Recent Latin American Elections Repudiate Neoliberalism with Alex Main on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7 PM ET.  You can join in https://zoom.us/webinar/register/7016135027990/WN_3jBZ4W6qReuS-oG2Ixzo1g?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=d0d4ce02-330d-4008-8722-effa85dba4e0.  Main will address the implications for the Americas of the recent elections in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, as well as the coming elections in Chile and Peru. He will discuss how US policy towards Latin America may be affected by a new US president. Main is Director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington, DC.

70] – Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] wants you to join a webinar: The Peoples' Poor Public Health on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7 PM ET.  Take a deep dive into the public health infrastructure in the U.S. and in Massachusetts. The global viral pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings in our public health system, and the importance of a robust, well-funded public health system is more evident now than ever. Join the webinar to learn about our public health system, its strengths and weaknesses, and what changes can and should be made to protect us from the current pandemic and those in the future. Look at some international public health systems for comparison. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwrd-CvrzIiGNezWB-3zooQxJM_pll5YrNg?emci=c78bec7c-c676-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=71ceb669-c776-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=269591.

71] – People's Action [info@peoplesaction.org] and Sen. Bernie Sanders are demanding $1.9T in COVID relief NOW! Make Congress get $1.9 trillion in COVID relief to our communities now! On Thurs., Feb. 25 at 8 PM ET, attend a Town Hall with Senator Bernie Sanders - Chair of the Senate Budget Committee - in conversation with Jodi Risper, Movement Politics Director at Citizen Action New York, and Stephanie Maldonado, Director of Organizing at LUCHA Arizona, and more special guests to discuss the current negotiated relief package, and what we can do right now to help get the relief our communities need. RSVP at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/e60tigqv/register.

72] –  On Thurs., Feb. 25 at 8 PM ET,  ACLU People Power [info@peoplepower.org] is holding an important and action-oriented discussion on how we can leverage our collective power to address our country’s legacy of racism. RSVP for a Systemic Equality Action Series Kickoff and learn more about how you can make a difference and join the movement to transform our country: https://go.peoplepower.org/signup/systemic-equality-kickoff/?source=ppem_89724&t=1&akid=89724%2E1415127%2EF2Xkzc.

73] -- The Progressive Maryland Team [info@progressivemaryland.org] informs us that Where Water & Justice Meet will be discussed on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 8 PM EST. Water is complicated. Too much and we face flooding, too little and we face disease, war, and famine. The use of lead water pipes endangers our communities and puts people of color at particular risk. Shutoffs make it hard for people to follow basic hygiene guidelines in the middle of a pandemic. Learn how you can take action to protect healthy drinking water in your community and preserve water in this webinar. Share quick action items as well as a free curriculum available for educating your House of Worship or community. Register at https://secure.everyaction.com/PWHTvKdXxUCDpfOilwF2iA2?emci=2e4c9b58-9f70-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=4f604ea3-a170-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=136680.

74] – Forty-five million Americans are burdened with a collective $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. Democrats have the power to cancel all student debt right now through budget reconciliation, without the support of a single Republican. But they won’t without pressure.  RSVP to join RootsAction on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 8 PM ET for a special event with Nina Turner. We’ll hear from her about why we need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and then take action by contacting our senators, representatives and the White House! RSVP at https://act.rootsaction.org/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=7524.

75] – The "Ban Treaty": What is it and Why is it Important? On Jan. 22, a new treaty came into effect that outlaws nuclear weapons. Called the “Ban Treaty” by its promoters, the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been ignored by the mainstream media and undercut by the U.S. government. So, is it vitally important, as its adherents say, or is it a “nothing-burger”?  The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Jan. 27 set the hands of their iconic “Doomsday Clock,” a universally recognized indicator of the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, to 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been. This means that these scientists, which include 13 Nobel laureates, consider that we are perilously close to annihilation. Can the “Ban Treaty” help us survive?

In the Webinar, Joseph Gerson, who has worked for decades on banning nuclear weapons, will help us understand the implications of this treaty, including what we can do to help ensure that nuclear weapons are never used. This Webinar is sponsored by the Baltimore Yearly Meeting (Quakers) and cosponsored by the Maryland Poor People's Campaign, Maryland Peace Action, Massachusetts Peace Action, and Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland.  It will take place on Sat., Feb. 27 at 10 AM ET. Sign up at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pcuqpqzgpGdwjhRDeKQc0a0CJU6ho8DUZ?emci=a3995c14-ab76-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=df3358c4-b076-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=259502.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt.206, and Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs